At daybreak, the envoy sent by the King of Nanman was finally able to meet with the King of Wuman.
Hearing that King Wuman was cruel and bloodthirsty, and a "butcher"-like character... the envoy was a little timid, but when he was led into the half-built palace of Wuman and saw King Wuman in the main hall, the envoy was stunned, but not so panicked anymore.
Because the King Wuman, who was sitting on the throne, was wearing a bronze mask.
The bronze mask perfectly concealed the scars on King Wuman's face, while also blocking the powerful aura of a superior looking down on those below.
The southern barbarian envoy awkwardly performed a rather awkward etiquette that he did not know where he had learned from: "I pay my respects to the king."
In the two rows of the main hall of the palace, the ministers of Wuman stood like the Wei Dynasty. But strangely, when the envoy saluted the Wuman above him, the expressions of the Wuman ministers around him were very strange. Some even turned their faces and closed their eyes, looking "horrible".
The envoy was a little angry, thinking that these people did not know etiquette.
But the envoy suddenly saw a tall and slender young warrior standing behind the masked King Wuman.
The man wore a shining silver ring on his left ear and had a scar on his face that went across half of his face. He looked scary at first glance, but at second glance, he was handsome and imposing, and his aura when he stood with his arms folded was not much different from that of the Nanman King Bule that the envoy had seen.
The young man smiled at the envoy, showing his white teeth.
The looks of the courtiers were even stranger.
However, the envoy felt that the warriors around the Wuman King were very polite.
The masked Wuman King cleared his throat at this time, attracting the envoy's attention: "This time, the birthday ceremony of the Great Wei Emperor coincides with their New Year's Day. I have decided to go to the Great Wei in person. I will remember the grace of King Bule, and I will never forget the reward of the Great Wei monarch."
The envoy said anxiously: "Your Majesty, King Bule means that we are indeed southern barbarians, and sooner or later the Wu barbarians will also..."
Under the gaze of the crowd, the envoy did not dare to speak so clearly and said vaguely: "We are one family. The alliance between Wuman and Wei will be abolished sooner or later..."
The Wuman King, who was sitting on a high seat, said: "We have naturally established an alliance, and it will not be easily abolished."
Unless there is a greater benefit.
The envoy tried to persuade Wuman again and again, using King Bule's words to persuade Wuman.
King Wuman was very firm: "I have made up my mind!"
The envoy was helpless. In fact, he had already guessed that he would not be able to convince Wuman. At present, King Bule could not unify the four tribes of Nanman, and could only watch Wuman and Wei fight fiercely. But... all this will pass sooner or later.
As long as the Wuman return to the Nanman, these problems can be solved.
The envoy compromised and said, "Okay. Since the king is determined to go to Wei in person, King Bulu hopes to let me accompany you."
King Wuman asked, "What's your name?"
The envoy replied: "Luo Xiu."
King Wuman did not speak again, but the warrior with a scar on his face standing behind him spoke up inexplicably: "Are you from Wei?"
The envoy named Luo Xiu was stunned for a moment and said, "My father is from the Wei Dynasty and my mother is from the Southern Barbarians. When there was a severe drought, my father fled from the Wei Dynasty and never planned to return alive, so I am naturally from the Southern Barbarians."
The young man nodded and said no more.
Luo Xiu thought this person was weird and didn't think much about it.
But after Luo Xiu left, the Wuman King sitting on the throne felt as if his butt was burned, and he quickly stood up and gave up his seat: "Your Majesty..."
But it was the warrior who had been serving as a guard wholeheartedly who laughed casually, lifted his robe and sat on the throne, acting extremely wanton.
This is the true king of Wuman, Meng Zaishi.
After the Nanman envoy left, the Wuman people naturally had their own discussion. Some ministers who were planning to follow the Wuman King to the Wei Dynasty were worried: "My king, are you planning to have someone impersonate you all the way on this journey, and you yourself will be a guard?"
Meng Zaishi asked back, "Isn't this interesting?"
The ministers were at a loss: What’s so interesting about this?
However, they had been under Shi Jiwei's wing for many years and did not dare to refute.
They suggested: "Since the king has decided to go in person, let's write a letter to Wei..."
Meng Zaishi: “Hi.”
His slender fingers clasped the armrests of the throne again and again, and he said slowly: "No need to write a letter. We will first pretend to be merchants, enter the border of Wei, and go all the way to the capital. There is still a month before the birthday of the Emperor of Wei. Isn't it great for us to see the scenery of Wei and go to the capital of Wei?"
“When we are almost there, we will write a letter to ask Da Wei to make preparations.
"This way, we can see what the Great Wei really looks like."
Meng Zaishi narrowed his eyes, thinking that only in this way could he see the real Great Wei and solve the problem in his mind - how should Wuman develop to become as powerful as Great Wei.
-----
The next day, Luo Xiu, the Nanman envoy who was tasked with serving as the Nanman King, was bewildered as he was disguised by the Wuman people and turned into a Wuman merchant.
The Wuman King I saw yesterday was still wearing a mask, but he was dressed like a businessman.
There were about a hundred of them in their group, and they entered the border of Wei in batches and then merged one by one.
The tall guard with a scar on his face was extremely reliable and followed King Wuman closely all the way, which made Luo Xiu praise him and say that this was what a personal bodyguard should be like.
However, every time Luo Xiu praised the guard, the expressions of a few people in the group would become strange, which made Luo Xiu quite puzzled.
When Meng Zaishi and his group entered the border of Wei in disguise, a group of real merchants also left the Wuman border and returned to Chang'an of Wei.
In the dead of winter, this group of merchants walked alone.
They received a mission in the West Market of Chang'an half a year ago. Under the pretext of doing business, they lived in Wuman for half a year and helped a guest to find out the situation of Wuman.
Now half a year has passed, and the money given by the guest has been spent. Although these merchants are Hu people, they have long surrendered to Wei, and their wives and children are in Chang'an. Moreover, the Chang'an ceremony at the end of this year is different from previous years.
The eager Hu merchants did not want to spend the New Year in a desolate place like Wuman, so of course they were anxious to get back to Chang'an before the end of the year.
However, the pace of these real businessmen could not match that of Meng Zaishi's group. Although they set out on almost the same day, they were still much slower than Meng Zaishi and his group.
-----
At this time, Chang'an was bustling with activity because of the arrival of envoys from various small countries and because it was the end of the year.
Princess Danyang Mu Wanyao watched coldly as she entertained her neighbor Yan Erlang for dinner in her house for five days.
Don't worry about the lunch.
It was not because Mu Wanyao could not return home, but because the court would prepare a "meeting meal" at noon for the court officials in the various offices of the imperial city. For example, an eighth-rank official like Yan Shang was sent from the Secretariat to the Honglu Temple, so he could eat at the Secretariat or the Honglu Temple at noon.
He won't starve anyway.
However, he shamelessly comes to Mu Wanyao's house every night to eat, there is nothing wrong with that, right?
Mu Wanyao initially thought he had some purpose, but after watching for two days, she realized that he just came to eat and chat with her. She was simply amazed by him -
Once upon a time, Yan Erlang actually learned how to eat for free!
How poor is he?
That night, Yan Shang had dinner at Mu Wanyao's place as usual.
The two of them did not eat at separate tables, but a long table filled with dishes. However, Mu Wanyao just drank from the wine bottle and did not eat much, simply appreciating Yan Shang's meal.
After Yan Shang finished his meal, the food on the table had not yet been cleared away. He looked up at Mu Wan and shook his head, then met the princess' eyes.
Yan Shang paused slightly, slowly put down his chopsticks, and recalled that he should not have shown any embarrassment just now.
He was polite for a moment: "Your Highness, you only want to drink, but not eat?"
Mu Wan frowned and said, "Eating wine and food together will give you a weird smell. Who can stand it?"
Yan Shang: "Your Highness, please drink less."
Mu Wan glanced at him, as if deliberately going against him. She poured herself a full glass of wine again, raised the glass to signal him, and then drank it all in one gulp.
Yan Shang: “…”
Although he knew that no one would listen to what he said, Yan Shang still whispered: "Then your highness should drink some hot wine. Your highness is a woman, you should know not to drink cold wine. Not only will your stomach hurt, but your head will also hurt. I have specially asked the imperial physician..."
Mu Wanyao was afraid of him: "I know, I know, you are so annoying."
With lingering fear, she asked the maids to remove the wine in front of her. She was really annoyed by Yan Shang's slow and methodical attitude, which insisted on getting her consent.
But I can only endure it.
The maid cleared the food table. Mu Wanyao saw Yan Shang still sitting there and looked at him in surprise.
Yan Shang gritted his teeth, with a warm smile on his face, and chatted with Mu Wanyao: "What did your highness do today?"
Under the candlelight, Mu Wanyao thought that he was planning to chat with her after dinner again.
Hey, what's there to talk about?
She and Yan Shang only saw each other a few times a day and had no experiences in common. What was there that was worth talking about over and over again every night?
She was probably a little drunk. She rubbed her cheek and sneered at him, "I don't want to talk about it."
Yan Shang paused, pretending not to understand her tone of not caring about him, and smiled: "Then let me tell Your Highness about the interesting things that happened to me that day..."
He began to tell her his daily schedule like a story, and Mu Wanyao didn't say a word. After all, he had a nice voice and was interesting to talk about. Although she didn't want to pay attention to him, it didn't hurt to listen.
Just then, a maid named Xia Rong was walking outside with a notebook in her hand, standing on tiptoe to look into the room. Mu Wanyao saw her and raised her chin towards the room. Xia Rong then came in with the notebook in her arms, placed it on the table in front of Mu Wanyao, and then knelt down to leave again.
Yan Shang was still chatting in a gentle and soft voice.
Although he was the only one who spoke, Mu Wanyao kept her head down and flipped through the notebook that the maid brought her, and had no intention of responding to him at all.
Yan Shang felt a little uncomfortable.
But he was helpless, knowing that Mu Wanyao was just that kind of person.
When she was happy, she became very cute and couldn't stop pulling him to act coquettishly; when she was unhappy, just ignoring him was already considered a good temper.
When Yan Shang decided to be with her, he had already prepared himself for her to be like this. But she was always like this... He still couldn't help but doubt himself, wondering if he was so boring. After talking for so long, she didn't seem to respond.
Could it be that... could he only rely on selling his erotic appearance to attract her attention? Maybe he wasn't doing well enough, but he was trying hard, but when Mu Wan shook her... she wasn't trying at all!
They were clearly lovers, but Yan Shang felt that Mu Wanyao simply... didn't want to be with him.
Love paralyzes a smart person and makes him worry about gains and losses. Yan Shang was in such a state of random thoughts, but it did not affect his casual chat with Mu Wanyao. But when he was distracted, Mu Wanyao slapped the table.
Mu Wanyao said dissatisfiedly: "Do you know what you are talking about? The last sentence is that your teacher Liu is not satisfied with the teacher your father appointed for you, and the next sentence is about how you practice archery. Yan Shang, when did you speak so incoherently?"
Yan Shang was startled, but he did not blush at her questioning. Instead, his eyes lit up slightly, and he was slightly surprised: "Your Highness is actually listening to me?"
Mu Wan shook her head in confusion: "...I'm not deaf."
Yan Shang's drooping eyelashes trembled slightly, and his face flushed slightly. The previous depression was suddenly swept away, and he became more cheerful. However, before he could continue the previous topic with Mu Wanyao, Mu Wanyao raised her head from the book she was reading, with a hint of smile in her eyes.
She said, "Stop! I don't want to hear those boring things from you. Let me ask you, do you know you are wrong?"
Being stared at by her coldly, Yan Shang was at a loss for a moment.
He said, "What's wrong with me?"
Mu Wan slapped the table and said, "Are you keeping a mistress outside of my home?"
Yan Shang was both amused and confused for a moment, and said, "Your Highness is joking again."
Seeing that he was not in a hurry and was very open and honest, Mu Wanyao was disappointed and relieved: He didn't cheat. Maybe he really didn't do anything wrong.
Mu Wanyao then said what he really wanted to say: "You still say you don't know your fault? You come to my house every night, why do you come here? Don't you know it in your heart?"
Yan Shang suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
He tilted his head, still sitting upright, looking down at her, and said, "I just can't see Your Highness all day, and I want to talk to Your Highness. Is this wrong?"
Mu Wan held her chin with her hand, watching him swear so confidently.
She cursed in her heart that no man can be trusted.
She threw the account book at Yan Shang and cursed, "You liar, you want to see me! You are so poor that you come to my place to eat and drink. Yan Shang, I really misjudged you. You look so handsome and upright, but you can do such a thing!"
Yan Shang was hit on the face by the account book, and he was a little dazed.
He picked up the things that Mu Wan had thrown at him and quickly flipped through them. He had a very good memory. The account book of the mansion that Yun Shu had shown him the day before was exactly the same as the one he was looking at now. He immediately realized that what Mu Wan had thrown at him was the account book of his mansion.
Although the house next door is Yan Shang's, the servants are all from Princess Danyang's side. If Mu Wanyao really wants to know something, there is no way to stop him.
What's more, Yan Shang was very open and frank, and he never wanted to stop her or hide anything from her.
When Yan Shang saw the account book, he knew that his little thoughts were known by Mu Wanyao. He was extremely ashamed, and when he looked up, he saw Mu Wanyao's face flushed red, and he was so angry that he got up and was about to leave. He was a little panicked for a moment and hurried to chase after him.
Chasing to the door, Yan Shang grabbed Mu Wan's shaking hand and said, "Your Highness!"
Mu Wan shook: "What?"
She stood at the door of the hall and looked back at him. Her expression was cold, so Yan Shang couldn't tell whether she was really unhappy or not.
Yan Shang observed her for a long time. Mu Wan shook his hand. He frowned, with a slightly struggling expression.
After a while, he said, "It's my fault. But I can't help it..."
Mu Wan shook his head. She was a little unhappy, but not angry about such a small matter.
Being stopped by Yan Shang, Mu Wan shook her head: "If you can't afford to eat, just tell me, I'll lend you money. Why do you have to do this?"
Yan Shang looked at her and said after a while, "Am I doing this just because I'm short of money? Is it enough for Your Highness to just lend me the money?"
Mu Wan shook her head doubtfully: "What else?"
He lowered his eyelids and looked at himself holding her wrist. He said, "Your Highness, have you ever thought that I am doing this... to find a reason to see Your Highness?"
Mu Wan shook: "..."
Be still for a moment.
Yan Shang raised his eyes and looked at her.
Mu Wan swayed a little slower: "Ah?"
Yan Shang frowned slightly. He had been frowning almost all night. He still held her wrist and stood with her at the door of the hall. He looked at her and saw that she looked very confused. He felt really uncomfortable.
Yan Shang said: "You, you... don't you ever want to see me? We don't see each other all day. I am in the Honglu Temple, and you are busy with your work. Then you come back at night, and sometimes you go to banquets with ministers and come back very late... I also have to read and practice calligraphy at night.
"We often go a whole day without seeing each other or saying a word."
At dusk, I was silent.
Said: "So what?"
The words are still a little hurried.
He said, "Lovers shouldn't be like you and me. You should see each other often and talk often... I always think of you in my heart, but I don't know if you think of me."
Mu Wan glanced at him and said, "What can I say about this..."
She struggled and freed herself from his grip on her wrist.
She rubbed her hands, stepped on the shadows of the lanterns under the corridor, and walked towards her house. Yan Shang followed behind her, sometimes reaching out to open the curtain for her. Listening to Mu Wan's slow voice: "We live so close, it's actually very easy to meet each other."
Yan Shang: "How is it easy?"
He paused and said, "You are a princess after all. I have no reason to come to your house. One moment I say I want to discuss government affairs with you, and the next I can only come to see you by eating for free... You are a princess, high up in the sky, and you really don't know my difficulties at all."
His face flushed, and he whispered, "How can I lie every day? How can I come up with excuses every day? I'm racking my brains, but I can't see you, what's the point?"
Mu Wan walked in front and listened to him complaining behind him.
She was extremely surprised.
Because Yan Shang spoke in a low voice and just followed her, the maids who were not far behind them could not hear the sound. Mu Wanyao naturally understood that Yan Shang was too proud and did not want others to know what he was saying to her, but he... kept whispering to her. Mu Wanyao was originally very calm, but he made her blush.
Who would keep saying to her "I want to see you" or "I really want to see you"?
Mu Wan's cheeks turned red.
She found it funny that he had such a side to him, but was also delighted that he wanted to see her so much.
She actually missed him too...but he always had an excuse to come visit her, saving her the trouble.
Mu Wanyao walked to the door of her house, opened it, turned around and looked at him, with a hint of anger in her eyes: "Okay, I know what you mean! From now on, just come directly to my house, and I won't let the servants stop you and ask questions."
Yan Shang blushed.
Shut up.
He also knew that it was not good for him to do this, but...he really had no choice. Hearing Mu Wanyao say this, the corners of Yan Shang's lips curled up slightly.
After closing the door, Mu Wanyao slowly lit the candles in the house, turned her back to Yan Shang, and said slowly: "But why do you want to see me?"
Yan Shang was startled and asked, "What do you mean?"
He looked at her slender back and listened to her slowly saying, "I don't think it matters whether you see me or not. Even if you see me, you'll just pull me to sit down and chat, talking about your endless things, telling me what's going on in your government hall today and tomorrow... I don't really want to hear such boring things."
Yan Shang: "...Is this why you never really liked seeing me?"
Mu Wanyao blew gently on the candles, and all the candles on the lamp branches were lit, making the room bright. She turned around and looked at him, the bright flames shining on her face, which was bright and shiny.
Mu Wan shook her head and said angrily, "What's wrong? You're the one who dragged me to say these nonsense, so can I not like to listen? Do I have to happily support you no matter what you say?"
Yan Shang lowered his head and reflected.
He was a little embarrassed and said, "I don't know... Then what do you want to hear? Can I tell you?"
Mu Wan shook his head and thought for a while, then said as if giving up: "I like to listen... Forget it, I don't want to listen to you at all."
Yan Shang: “…”
Yan Shang raised his eyes in shock and met her beautiful eyes. He was not a stupid person, and he understood what she meant at once when she raised her eyes slightly.
This time his ears turned red.
After being stunned for a moment, Yan Shang sat down by himself, lowered his eyes and said: "I thought... that thing is not the only interesting thing between men and women."
Mu Wanyao: "Ah, that's a pity. You and I have nothing in common. In my eyes, the most interesting thing is 'that matter' that you dare not even mention."
Yan Shang struggled: "...You don't want to communicate with me at all, to get to know me a little better? We have known each other for such a long time, but I feel that you don't understand me at all, and I don't understand you either."
Mu Wanyao sat under the bed curtains. The room was a little hot from the burning charcoal, so she fanned herself with a feather fan. She looked at Yan Shang, who was sitting about three or four feet away from her, with a half-smile, and thought to herself that since they were so far apart, why didn't he just leave the room directly?
Mu Wanyao said: "Then I am probably vulgar."
Yan Shang had nothing to say.
After a while, he tried again: "I'm not against you, I just think that spiritual communication is more meaningful and lasts longer. Physical communication is always... a bit thirsty..."
Mu Wan shook his face and slammed the fan on the bed.
She was slightly angry: "What do you mean? I only have you, and you can't even touch me, and you're still thirsty? If I had three or four men at the same time, it wouldn't be too late for you to say this, right?"
Yan Shang quickly stood up: "That's not what I meant..."
Mu Wan shook: "Get lost!"
Yan Shang was anxious. He took the initiative to come over and sit beside her, gently hooking her hand, but Mu Wan shook him off. Yan Shang said, "That's not what I meant. I just feel that love fades with age. If you only care about appearance, if I get old and ugly..."
Mu Wanyao became even angrier: "I haven't done anything yet, and you want to show off your love for me? Before, you just didn't let me have sex, but now you don't even allow me to kiss or hug you. Who would dare to be nice to someone like you?"
Yan Shang saw that she was even more unhappy, and he felt a little panicked.
After a while he said, "Then, then give me a kiss."
Mu Wanyao laughed angrily: "Depending on your charity? Are you doing this so reluctantly?"
Yan Shang: "I just, just..."
Mu Wanyao: "What's going on? Tell me clearly! If you don't, we'll just let it go. Don't come to me again in the future!"
Yan Shang's forehead was already covered with sweat. He hesitated for a long time, but was finally broken by her harsh words. He grabbed her hand, as if he was afraid that she would leave, and his face was pale. Finally, he leaned over to her ear and whispered a few words.
Mu Wan shook: "..."
I was stunned for a moment.
Look back at him.
The words he whispered in her ear were: You always leave me unsatisfied, that's why I don't like you.
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